Ray Rice is toxic right now. Technically, he was toxic before because of the domestic violence incident that he was involved in with his then-fiancée Janay Palmer back in February at the Revel Atlantic City hotel and casino in Atlantic City, N.J. But now, the former Ravens running back is extra toxic thanks to the video that TMZ Sports released yesterday of him punching Palmer in an elevator at Revel.
Ray Rice is toxic right now. Technically, he was toxic before because of the domestic violence incident that he was involved in with his then-fiancée Janay Palmer back in February at the Revel Atlantic City hotel and casino in Atlantic City, N.J. But now, the former Ravens running back is extra toxic thanks to the video that TMZ Sports released yesterday of him punching Palmer in an elevator at Revel.
Rice is so toxic that, at the moment, there are a bunch of companies that are cutting all of their ties to him. For example, EA Sports just announced that they are going to remove Rice from Madden NFL 15 on Friday. But they're not the only company that doesn't want to have anything to do with Rice right now.
Here is A Running List of the Companies That Have Distanced Themselves From Ray Rice After Seeing His Elevator Video. Check back for updates to it as we move forward.
National Football League
Prior to the TMZ Sports video being released, the NFL had suspended Rice for just two games. But now that the video is out, the NFL has suspended Rice "indefinitely" and told teams that they need to contact them first if they have any interest in speaking with Rice.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens publicly supported Rice on many occasions over the last few months. But yesterday, a short time after the TMZ Sports video surfaced, Baltimore released Rice from his current contract and made him an NFL free agent.
EA Sports
Because the NFL has suspended Rice "indefinitely," the video game company has decided to remove him from their Madden NFL 15 game. "The roster change will take place by this Friday," they said in a statement released a short time ago.
Nike
In the past, the Swoosh has terminated endorsement deals with a number of controversial athletes, including Michael Vick, Lance Armstrong, and Justin Gatlin. You can now add Rice to that list.
Rutgers University
Rice's image has been removed from all of the football program's materials. Photos and video clips of him will also be removed from Rutgers' High Point Solutions Stadium. “Ray will always be a part of our family,” Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood said yesterday. “The video I saw this morning was difficult to watch as a husband and a father. There's nothing that can justify what I saw on that video."
Vertimax
Back in February, the creators of the Vertimax jump training system announced that they would keep Rice on as an endorser, despite his domestic violence-related arrest. But yesterday, they changed their tune and parted ways with him. "After internal discussion about the events that transpired, we determined that a future relationship with Ray did not align with our goals as a company," Vertimax CEO Michael Wehrell said in a statement.
Smyth Jewelers
As an official Ravens sponsor, the jewelry store sells a handful of Ravens-related products. But after seeing the TMZ Sports video, they halted sales of their Rice items and gave their customers the chance to return any Rice items that they've purchased recently in exchange for store credit.
Dick's Sporting Goods and Modell's
All Rice jerseys that were up for sale have been pulled from both Baltimore-area stores' floors. You won't even be able to buy them from the stores' bargain bins. Rice's jerseys have also been removed from the NFL's official shop. And the Ravens themselves are allowing fans to trade in their Rice jerseys in their stadium stores.
